Grand Blue Mile kicks of 102nd Drake Relays

The Grand Blue Mile kicked off the 102nd running of the Drake Relays on Tuesday night and in its second year the field of runners more than doubled. Relays director Brian Brown says about 3,400 runners took to the streets of Des Moines. Brown says they had 865 paid entrants last year and with the kids running that put them at 1,400 to 1,500.

Brown says the event has become popular in just its second year because it is not as threatening as an 8-K, 10-K, half marathon or a marathon, it is just a mile and everyone can complete it. He says participants get a t-shirt and a bag and it is an event people can say they did and keep track of their times.

Tonight the pole vault returns to a mall in West Des Moines with a competition in the Jordan Creek Towncenter. Brown says the women’s field has a great lineup of competitors.